Master's loan
If you’re paying the Home rate of fees and starting a part-time or full-time Masters in 24/24, you may be eligible for a Masters Loan worth a maximum of £12,471 to help fund your programme.
The information on this page is about loans available from Student Finance England in the academic year 24/25. Visit the website of the relevant funding body for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Help and guidance
Contact the Student Advice Service if you need help understanding your eligibility for the Masters Loan.
The Fees and Scholarships team can help with questions about paying your fees to SOAS and liaising with Student Finance regarding your enrolment and the release of your loan. If you have questions please email us at fees@soas.ac.uk.
Eligibility
Your eligibility for the loan depends on your residency, immigration status, previous study and age. Refer to GOV.UK for the list of eligibility criteria.
Eligible programmes at SOAS:
- Full-time Master's programmes
- Part-time Master's programmes no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time programme, e.g. if the full-time programme is one calendar year, the two year part-time programme will be eligible but not the three year programme
- Part-time Distance Learning Masters programmes (if you meet the residency requirements)
Submitting your application
You can apply online or by post when Student Finance England opens for applications. You only need to apply once even if your programme is longer than one year.
Selecting the correct course name
SOAS programmes will not be listed individually in the Student Finance course database, but under generic headings. You must select the generic course title that relates to your specific programme to avoid delays in your application.
| Master's degree at SOAS (On campus) | Generic degree title on the Student Finance system | SLC course code |
|---|---|---|
| One year, full-time MA, MSc, MMus or LLM degree in any subject | Full -time one Year Master's Humanities and Social Science | 719774 |
| Two year, full-time Master's degrees eg MA ... and Intensive Language, MA Advanced Chinese Studies | Full-time two Year Master's Humanities and Social Science | 719778 |
| Two year, part-time Master's degrees in any subject | Part-time two Year Master's Humanities and Social Science | 719777 |
| Four year, part-time Master's degrees eg MA ... and Intensive Language, MA Advanced Chinese Studies NB: Four year, part-time LLM is not eligible for the loan | Part-time four Year Master's Humanities and Social Science | 833343 |
| Distance Learning degree at SOAS | Generic degree title on the Student Finance system | SLC course code |
|---|---|---|
| Two year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in October session | Part-time two year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – October start | 999974 |
| Three year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in October session | Part-time three year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – October start | 999973 |
| Two year,part-time MA degree in any subject starting in January session | Part-time two-year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – January start | 999988 |
| Three year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in January session | Part-time three year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – January start | 999987 |
| Two year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in April session | Part-time two year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – April start | 49352 |
| Three year, Part time MA degree in any subject starting in April session | Part-time three year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences –April start | 49351 |
| Two year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in June session | Part-time two year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – June start | 49354 |
| Three year, part-time MA degree in any subject starting in June session | Part-time three year Distance Learning Masters Humanities and Social Sciences – June start | 49353 |
Examples
- Student 1 is taking MSc Violence, Conflict and Development and should choose 'Full Time 1 Year Master's Humanities and Social Science'.
- Student 2 is taking MA Intensive South Asian studies. As this degree is full time over 2 years, they should choose 'Full Time 2 Year Master's Humanities and Social Science'.
- Student 3 is taking LLM in Islamic Law part time over 2 years and should choose 'Part Time 2 Year Master's Humanities and Social Science'.
- Student 4 is taking MA Linguistics and Intensive Language part time over 4 years, they should choose "Part Time 4 Year Master's Humanities and Social Science"
Receiving your loan
Your loan payments will be spread out across all the academic years of your course. The loan is paid directly into your bank account in three instalments per academic year when you are fully enrolled.
For example, if you’re studying a two year Masters and taking out the maximum loan of £12,471, you’ll receive £6236 in year 1 and year 2.
Paying your tuition fees
If you’re studying an on-campus programme you’ll be eligible to pay your tuition fees in instalments that align with your loan payments dates (if your annual fees are more than £1,500). Find out about the deadlines to pay fees by and how to make your payments.
You can make your tuition fee payments via SOAS Web Payments.
Your Masters Loan payment may not cover the amount of tuition fees due to be paid, it’s important to budget for this when planning your finances prior to starting the programme.
Repayments and interest
Visit GOV.UK for full details on the interest applied to your loans and when you will start repaying your loan.